OREANDA-NEWS. Russia, with the participation of Iran and Turkey, has effectively destroyed the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a videoconference with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

“We cannot fail to note the effective work carried out within the framework of the Astana format with the participation of our partners from Iran and Turkey. Through joint efforts, we have managed to achieve a lot: the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria has been virtually eliminated, the level of violence has been significantly reduced, a peaceful life is being established, an inclusive political process is underway under the aegis of the United Nations,” Putin said.

The Russian President added that there are about 6.5 million refugees outside Syria, most of whom could participate in the reconstruction of the country. “In addition, their return meets the internal interests of the host states, especially the neighbours of Syria, since the burden on them is quite serious, they have to bear significant costs for the temporary accommodation and provision of the Syrians,” the politician explained. Putin hopes that the International Conference on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, which will take place on November 11 and 12 in Damascus, will help to intensify the process of the mass return of refugees to Syria.